Sunday, February 2, 2014

Argentina rises to 9th in IRB World Rankings

The six matches played in Europe over the weekend will have ramifications in the official IRB World Ranking of countries from both Europe and elsewhere. Scotland´s heavy loss against Ireland in Dublin sees Argentina trade places with the Scot´s while other countries also changed their positions. The IRB will make the official announcement at midday GMT on Monday and will confirm Argentina´s new position in addition to other changes below.

Scotland and Argentina are to switch positions with the South American nation moving up one place at the expense of the Northern Europeans. It is to be the only change in position but a number of sides have gained and lost rankings points. France, for instance, moves closer to England but remains ranked in fourth position between England and Wales.

England lost points but not enough to fall from fourth. Similarly neither Wales nor Italy changed their positions in the rankings. Wales did not win by a larger enough points margin to gain further rankings points while in losing by less than fifteeen Italy retained its rankings of 73,13 points. Ireland also retained its position of seventh but it gained poitns to go further ahead of the eighth ranked Samoans.

Romania´s big win over Portugal will make no difference to the IRB World Ranking of either side for the same reason as Georgia´s win over Belgium changed nothing - the home sides went into the fixtures with too high of a gap between itself and the visitor. The clash between Spain and Russia was different though as Russia´s narrow win saw the Eastern Europeans edge closer to the eighteenth ranked USA while Spain is now tied with Portugal which sees Uruguay, in twentieth, increase its slim margin.